Post by Logan on Apr 1, 2016 4:49:18 GMT -6
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Another proposal to provide health care coverage to low-income Nebraska residents under the federal health care law was effectively killed by lawmakers Tuesday.
Senators voted 28-20 to bracket the measure, which would have used federal Medicaid and state money to cover an estimated 97,000 uninsured people whose incomes are too high to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too low to receive federal tax credits to help pay for insurance.
Supporters described the proposal as the nation's most conservative approach to covering the so-called Medicaid gap population, which exists because tax subsidies are only available to people with household incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. But opponents, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, had raised concerns about the bill's long-term costs.
Three other attempts to expand Medicaid have failed in the previous three years.
Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, the bill's lead sponsor, said he was disappointed by the vote but expressed optimism that some version of the proposal will eventually pass. McCollister said lawmakers will look for new ways to provide coverage between this session and the next one in 2017.
Read more: www.wyomingnews.com/news/nebraska-lawmakers-defeat-conservative-medicaid-proposal/article_850189a8-f68c-11e5-aa51-5ff97e51d296.html
Senators voted 28-20 to bracket the measure, which would have used federal Medicaid and state money to cover an estimated 97,000 uninsured people whose incomes are too high to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too low to receive federal tax credits to help pay for insurance.
Supporters described the proposal as the nation's most conservative approach to covering the so-called Medicaid gap population, which exists because tax subsidies are only available to people with household incomes between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. But opponents, including Gov. Pete Ricketts, had raised concerns about the bill's long-term costs.
Three other attempts to expand Medicaid have failed in the previous three years.
Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, the bill's lead sponsor, said he was disappointed by the vote but expressed optimism that some version of the proposal will eventually pass. McCollister said lawmakers will look for new ways to provide coverage between this session and the next one in 2017.
Read more: www.wyomingnews.com/news/nebraska-lawmakers-defeat-conservative-medicaid-proposal/article_850189a8-f68c-11e5-aa51-5ff97e51d296.html